Fire-extinguisher valve.



PATEN-TD DEG. 3, 190'7. L A. BLAUVELT.` FIRE EXTINGUHISHVBR VALVE. AWLIUATION FILED JULYzo. 1903.

2 SHEETS-SHEET l.

. 31.1.- im f nil No. 872,791,.- PATBlxTBD` DBG. 3,1902 A. BLAUVBLT., PIRE EXTINGUISHER VALVE.

APPLICATION FILED vJULY. 20L 1903.

2 SHEETS-snm' a.

UNrrnD srarns ernten.

ALBERT BLAUvELr, or ourense, 'immers'. Frasinxrnveursmn vermi.

Spee'eation of Letters Patent.

i 'atented Dec. 3,190?.

- appiimion and my 20,1903. smaila. 166.327'.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that' I, ALBERT BLAUvELT, residing at Chicago, Cook county, Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvel ments in* Fire-Extinguisher Valves, of which fthe following is a specification.

Mg; invention relates to automatic valves for e extinguisher systems working on the dry pipe plan, in which the water inlet valve is maintained in closed condition by the air pressure of .thesystem but is permitted to open to admit Water to the distributing pipes o the system whenever the air pressure is rel, lieved or reduced particularly as by the'ring of 'one lor more of the usual sprinlder heads.

The object of my invention is to produce a l reliable and efficient valve of the character described and also to provide simple means for resetting the valve after being operated.

The features of advantage and utility of my valve mechanism will be apparent from the descri )tion hereinafter given.

In the rawings, Figure 1 1s a central longitudinal section of my valve device; Fig 2 a section on the line A--B of Fig. 1 Fig. an

elevation of my valve device, but'showing,

by dotted lines, the position'o;t the contained movable parts in open position, and Fig 4 a sectional plan on line C-D of Fig. 1.

rIhe valve casing 1 has a valve chamber 2 arranged to communicate with the water supply pipe or main through 4the passage 3v and with the distributingpipes of the sprinkler system through the passage 4. The water passage 3 is litted with a short pipe or sleeve 5 extending into the valve chamber and there provided at its upper end with a valve seat 6 upon which seats the valve pro er marked 7.

' T e valve is pivotally connected to oneend yof a pair of U-shaped `links or arms 8 whose other end is pivoted to the flange 9 of the pipe 5, with the result that, when permitted, the valve, 7 will be forced. upwardly and carried laterally by the water always present below the valve.

To normally hold the valvevupon its seat, I employ a lever 10 arranged/to be kept in horizontal positionby the air pressure of the system as hereinafter described.

The lever 10 is provided at one end above the valve with an upwardly directed pivot edge 11 adapted to bear in. a groove or socket "12 formed in the center of a spider or grating 13 in the assageway 4, and with a loop support for t e lever when disengaged, as 1n Fig.

e, au as. Clearly indicated in rig.; 1... Upea the same end of this lever is pivoted a screw" 14 having a conical depending head 'adapted'"v to bear upon the top face of vthe valve 7 in the manner shown in Fig. 1.- Whenv the valvel `is set closed the pivot point. 11 and the-conicalhead of the screw 14 are in or near aliney ment. y v

To the outer end of the lever 10 is pivotally connected a hanged holding disk 1-5 which,

haustedto atmosphere, though the pet cock be closed, and the disk 15 may leak some what, an outlet pipe 18 provided with a ball check is arranged on the casin as shown by Figs. 1 and 3. This ball chec closes automatically should the valve tri and 'admit n water. When the system is c arged with air pressure, that is in normal condition, the pressure in the valve chamber 2 exerted u y on the underside of' the disk 15 holds such isk in elevated position 'and consequently holds the lever mechanism as shown in'Fig. 1 with the pivot point 11 and end of screw 414 in its seat.

alinement, whereby the valve 7 is kept upon, I

The disk i5 is heid in elevated position against the force of gravity of a Weightv19 tending to pull it downward which is ar-` ranged w'ithin a horseshoe sha edwei ht 20.` The weight 19 which'is the lig ter of t e two. lis provided' with lateral studs `orpins 21 formed in the larger wei t and preferably having the peculiar shape shown, that is, aninclined portion and a vertical portion. 1

adapted to engage the uppler end of slots 2.2

When the valve device is set` ready for action,

the disk 15 and operating'lev'er 10 are acted upon by the combined gravity of the'4 two weights, but in the operation of theiyalve device, the heavier Weight 4(Vwill actionly during the initial movement of the lever, until such weight sea-t upon'the bottoino'f the cas-v ing. Continued movement of the n iovahle parts will be caused by the lighter weight.

Whenever the air pressure ofthe system released or reduced, .the disk l is no longer held in elevated positionbutpulled off its seat by the weights, with the result that by" lever which constitutes a strut between the s ider 13 and the valve 7. The valve is t ereupon forced open and the water rushes upwardly from the inlet 3 land through the outlet 4 to the distributing pipes of' the system. The lighter weight is adapted to be liited by lrand the subsequent lifting of the combined weights in oHler to set the valve device after being operated is accomplished by the following described mechanism: `Upon lugs 23 is pivoted a frame-or bridge 24 having a hook-shaped free end 25 and also a stop lug 26 intermediate oiits length. lhe stop lug 26 strikes the side of the casing shown 'in-Fig. 2. An adjustable supporting rod 27 screws into V'a detachable nut setin the 'rever in a positive manner.

held in operativeposition, shown by dotted,

bridge 24, as shown, and is adapted in one ,osition to contact and support the operating The bridge is lines' in Fig. 2, by an inwardly spring pressed bolt or pin 28 controlled. in the opposite direction by the' air .pressure of the system. llfhenV the 'bridge is in operative position as described its hook shaped end 25'rests upon the pin $28 and is thereby held in that posi- 'i ion so long as the pin is kept projected.

The pin 28 is operated by `a movable abutment, 1n the present instance a diaphragm 29 ,secured to such pin/and arranged in a casing '20 secured to the main valve casing. A coiled spring, 31 normally tends to hold the pin projected inwards in the patlh'oJtraa'el-.of the ifree end of the bridge and thereby hold the operating lever in set position, so long as the system is devoid of air pressure in excess of the pressure needed to support the disk 15.

However, wlienthe system is now put under pressure, the air will pass through the hole 32 to the inner face of the diaphragm, with the result that when the air pressure exceeds the tension of the spring, the bolt or pin 2S will be retracted and the bridge and supporting rod permit-ted to drop to the position sho-wn in full lines in 2. F or the purpose of operating the bolt by hand whenever desired, l provide a hand lever 33 pivoted to a sleeve orthimble 34, through which the stem 35 of the diaphragm is free to slide but which is nevertheless operatively connected thereto by ,reason of the nut 35a'at the outer end of such stem. Access is had to the valve chamber 2 by removing the slide '36 of the casing.

flhe operation ofthe mechanism will be quite ap )arent from the foregoing description. lie normal osition. is clearly shown in llig. l, in which the valve is closed or seated and the resetting mechanism is in inoperative position. ,The position of parts after being operated is shown in Fig. 3, by dotted lines, inY which the valve is open and admity ting water to the system. The opening l movement oi the valve is limited bythe con-r l tact of the lug 37 against the shoulder 38 on 70 l the operating lever.

I The air under pressure admitted to the system exerts pressure against the diaphragm j 29 and thereby moves the diaphragm and rei tracts the pin 28, as hereinbefore described, sin which movement of the dia hragm its j stem 35 moves reelyto the le lt (Fig. 2), i through the sleeve or thimble 34, whereupon i the setting mechanism is free to drop to nori mal position in the manner hereinbefore eX- plained; lt-is therdnty of the operator after theair is turned on to always operate the handle 33 to dotted position with the result l that the sleeve or thimble will be drawn outwardly to expose the word Set arranged to show upon the outer surface of such sleeve. g ln case, tor any reason, the retractable pin 28 should stick or fail to be withdrawn, this movement of the sleeve will positively withdraw it and thereby always assure set position, even though the automatic Jfeature should fail in its function. When the sleeve is in its inward position, the word Set is covered, being positioned at the point of the arrow in Fig. 2, and the same is uncovered or exposed when the sleeve is withdrawn as d escribed.

. I claim:

l. An automatic valve for sprinkler systems comprising a valve casing having an v inlet communicating with the water supply and with an outlet communicating with the system, said inlet and outlet being in substantial alinemerrt, a valve governing said inlet, an operating lever which, when in normal position, is arranged to hold the valve seated, means arranged beyond the line of passageof the water and laterally of the inlet and outlet and controlled by the airvpressure of the system to hold such lever in normal position, and a weight acting on such leverv in opposition to such air pressure and operating, when. permitted by the release of the air.

ressure, to positively move the operating ever and thereby open the valve.

2. An automatic valve for sprinkler systems comprising a valve casing having a pressure chamber communicatin with the systemand with thewater supp y, a valve governing the water supply, ann operating lever when in normal position arranged to hold the valve seated, a 'flanged disk connected to one end of said lever, a weight also connected thereto, said disk being arranged to seat upon an interior wall oi the casing, and means for exhausting thepressure from the interior of such disk.

3. An automatic valve for sprinkler systems com rising a valve casing communicating wit the system and with the wat-er disk connected to one end of said lever and arranged to seat upon an interior Wall of the casing, a weight also connected thereto, a

et cock for exhausting the pressure from the interior of such disk, 'and a ball check for 'maintaining such interior of the disk at atmospheric pressure.

4. An automatic` valve for sprinkler systems complrisiiig a valve casing communieating wit the 'systemand with the water supply, a valve governing the water supply, an operating lever when in normal position arranged to hold the valve seatedfand a resetting device governed vby the air pressure. of tlie system for holding the operating lever in set or normal position but arranged to be automatically withdrawn Jfrom such service when the system is charged With air npressure.

ler sys- 5. An automatic valve for spri tenis comprising a valve casin communieating with the system and. Witi the Water supply, a valve governing the Water supply, an operating lever when in normal position arranged to hold the valve seated, and a resetting device consisting of a pivoted bridge, an adjustable rod' carried thereby" and adapted, in set position, to support the operating lever, and fluid pressure .actuated mechanism controlled by the pressure of the system for holding such resetting device-in set position.

6.An automatic .valve for sprinkler systems comprising a valve. casingl eating with the system and' Wit the Water supply, a valve governing the Water supply', an operating lever when in normal position arranged to hold the valve. seated, aresetting device consisting' of a pivoted bridge, an adjustable rod carried thereby and adapted, in

set osition, to vsupport the o erating lever, a bo t normally he projecte into' the valve casing to support the bridge in set position,

and means governed by the. airtpressure of the system for retracting the .bolt.

7. A n automatic valve-for sprinklerfsystems comv rising a valve casingl communieating Wit the system and Wit supply, a valve governing the Water supply,

eating Wit the Water an operatin lever when in normal position arranged to old the valve seated, a resetting device consisting of a pivoted bridge, an adjustable rod carried thereby and a apted, in set osition, to su port the operating lever, a bo t normally he d projected into the valve casing to support the bridge in set position, and a Inova e abutment connected to said bolt and exposed to the air pressure ofthe s stem, which pressure is adapted to retract t e bolt and permit the resetting device to fallto inoperative position.

A 8. An automatic valve for sprinkler systems com rising a valve casing having a pressure c ambercommunicatin With the -system and with the Water: supp y, a valve governingthe water supply, a lever arranged within said chamber and coperating with tlie valve to close it, means controlled by the air pressure 'oi the system to hold suoli lever in normal position, and a. Weight located Within said pressure chamber and adapted to act on the lever in opposition to such air pressure.

9. An automatic valve for sprinkler sysltems-com rising a valve casing .communieating wit the system and with the water Weight connected with the disk, and means for normally maintaining the interior of the, `disk at atmospheric pressure.

10. Ali automatic valve for sprinkler systems complrising' a valveeasin communisupply, a lever arranged, When in normal position, to .hold the valve seated, a flanged disk operatively connected with the lever the. system and Wit the WaterA 'and arrangedto-seat upon an interior Wall of the casing, a Weight connected with the disk, and a check valve for normally maintaining lthe interioror` the disk at'atmosplieric pressure'but adapted t0 close When the disk is unseated. l

ALBERT i BLAUVELT.

Witnesses:

S. E. HIBBEN, Louis BERWIN. 

